The Edge
by alwaysbringback-up
Summary: A one-shot about what it means to truly hold on to something! A refreshing one shot that is completely unrelated to the season finale. I figure that readers could all use something a little different for a change. Most definitely Caskett! Check it out!


Title: **The Edge**  
>Category: TV Shows » Castle<br>Author: greygirl03  
>Language: English, Rating: Rated: K<br>Genre: Drama

_**Disclaimer: Sadly the amazing show that is Castle does not belong to me, nor does Nathan Fillion (as amazing as he his)!**_

_**Spoilers: Through Season 3 finale.**_

_**Rating: K **_

_**A/N: Okay. So I know that some of you might want to very well kill me for posting this when so many of other stories are still (unfinished) in the works. And so to that I must tell you that when you have a thought that you cannot get out of your head day or night, sometimes the best way to get it out is to put it down on paper. I've been suffering from writer's block with all of my other stuff, so the easiest thing I could do was sit down and hash out something completely unrelated in an effort to get the words flowing again. And so, that is exactly what I did. I hope that you will check it out and give it a read. It's short and has a good Castle/Beckett moment in it. And better yet? It's completely unrelated (okay...so mostly unrelated) to the finale that everyone seems to be writing stories for. I put a fair amount of work into it. So...well...without any more delay here it is. Please please please review if you like it. I feel like I put everything I had into this one. Thanks for reading! Oh, I also changed things up a bit. Hopefully, you get what I mean while you read it. If you have read all of my other works you'll notice something different about this one. Mainly that it is written from a singular point of view...**_

"No!" Castle's scream fills the air around me, and before I can even turn, a shot is fired. My neck whips around instinctively and my eyes find Rick's body a second after it has already plowed into the shooter, throwing off the man's aim. The man who only a minute ago we were intending to question for our murder case, just made it blatantly obvious that he is the very same cold-blooded killer we're after. The bullet meant for me, strikes some nearby metal and ricochets, missing me by a matter of inches. I don't seem to be able to react fast enough to rectify this particular situation. I jump to life with a jolt as I watch two bodies start to roll away from me. I sprint for Castle, but somehow, I still know that I'm never going to make it in time. I trip over a two by four, littering the floor of the construction site, and I wind up grazing my hands on the floor. Still, I refuse to let it slow me down and continue to rush in his direction. I have to get there. I have to stop what is happening. I throw my right forearm up, instinctively to shield my eyes from the sudden onslaught of sun as I get close enough to the edge and come out of the shadows. The sunlight outside is so incredibly obtrusive to my eyes and I'm temporarily blinded. I can't see what's happening. I only hear more commotion as two bodies roll over the floor and scatter debris in their pathway. A chill shoots up my spine as I hear a scream. One body is catapulted into open air and it falls. You see, this is the problem with construction sites. They're flat out dangerous. They're hazardous, but more importantly, they're unfamiliar. My heart leaps as I suddenly realize Castle is headed for the same fate as the man before him. This is normally when paralyzing fear would take over, but I can't stop. I sprint the last few feet to the edge of the drop off. My heart is pounding out of control, and my hands are shaking as I struggle to adapt to this situation and keep the worst from happening. Luckily, I'm good at remaining calm.

By the time I get there, Castle's already plummeting. Blindly, I grope for any piece of him, anything to keep him from falling to his death. We're on the seventh story and I can't even bear to think of how high up we truly are.

I can't help the feral cry that comes from my lips as my left hand closes around his arm and I try to keep my grip on him as he goes over the edge and his entire body weight pulls me downwards in a jarring motion. There are no words for the pain that rips through my arm and shoulder as I hit the floor with a sickening and bruising force, and my arm is extended way past its normal range of motion. I cry out again, as he rebounds against the side of the building and I nearly lose my grip. This time I cry out more out of fear of losing him than anything else.

"Castle!" I scream, my voice shaking uncontrollably. I look down and meet his expression. He looks positively petrified. He's struggling to hang on, and I'm struggling to do the same. "Don't let go!" I plead with him. I see something flicker in his eyes and I'm literally scared to death because I can read the look in his eyes. I can tell that he's contemplating the idea of letting go. Somehow he knows that we're fighting a losing battle, because there's just no way I can hold him for much longer. I'm exerting all my strength on the pillar next to me with my other arm, but inch-by-inch I'm losing ground.

"Kate," he breathes. "Kate, don't do this. We both know you can't hold me. I'm too heavy."

"No," I say, my throat closing up on me. "Don't let go. Do you hear me? Castle, please… I need you to promise me you won't let go!" I grit my teeth together. I make the mistake of looking over the side and a shiver rockets up my spine. I'm suddenly frozen in fear. Oh god, please don't take him from me. Don't let him fall. I love him. I love him so much. I can't stop another cry of distress from slipping out.

"Okay," he concedes, seeing my distress. "Okay. I won't," he promises. "I won't let go." I don't have enough strength to pull him up. It's taking all of my strength just to keep him from falling. The bullet tract and the scar tissue that came with it, has left me weaker than normal. My shoulder is still a mess. Castle sees this. He knows I might not be able to hold him, and so he reaches up, trying to reach the edge of the drop off with his other hand. Unfortunately, the jostling movement nearly causes me to drop him. "Don't!" I cry out, my voice hoarse. "Don't move!"

"Kate," he breathes as he looks up into my eyes, "You can't hold me forever. You're still hurt."

"I am not letting you go!" I cry out emphatically. "Castle, you are _my_ _partner_! I love you and I am _not_ letting you go. Do you understand me?" I'm finally at the edge. My left arm is dangling straight down and he sinks another few inches. My hand is so slick with sweat, and it is getting harder and harder to maintain my grip on him. I meet his eyes. God, they're so blue. They're bottomless, and I nearly lose myself in them. I want to, but I can't, because this is what we call a matter of life or death.

"Kate," he speaks my name softly, his eyes holding mine. "You just said you loved me."

"I know," I manage to choke out. Then I add. "I know I did." He breaks my gaze to look down. I catch him at it. "Don't… Don't look down, Castle," I order. "Look at me. Keep your eyes on me!" He gulps, clearly already having seen what stands between him and the ground below, but he looks back up to meet my eyes nonetheless. "Don't think about what's down there," I coach. "Just look at me. Right now? It's just you and me. I've got you…"

"Kate!" the familiar cry emanating from the direction of the stairs in the center of the building, causes me to jump. Castle yelps as I nearly drop him. I let out another scream. Then try to pull myself together enough to call out Esposito's name.

"Sito!" I scream, "We're over here! I need help!"

"Agh," Castle lets out another growl of his own as his muscles seize up into a state of continuous contraction and I can't imagine the sort of pain he's in right now. "I can't. I can't hold on, Kate."

"No!" I scream, "Don't let go! Just hang on another minute! Sito is coming!" I see Castle gritting his own jaw together as he fights the pain. He's keeping his promise not to let go, and I can't help but plead to god that Esposito makes it here in time. I hear feet sprinting quickly in our direction.

"Kate!" he yells again.

"We're over here, Esposito!" I scream again. "And for god's sakes! Hurry!" My breath catches in my throat. I look over my shoulder and see Esposito sprint out from behind another pillar. As he sees me, I have the benefit of seeing the shock that quickly takes over his expression. There are no words for the sort of relief I feel when he finally drops to the floor beside me, reaching for Castle's hand.

"Quick! Give me your other hand!" he instructs Castle in a yell, and Castle, with in a whole fight of his own, gropes upwards for Esposito's dangling arm. It's difficult, and I nearly drop him. But at the last moment, I am given a slight reprieve. With a grunt, Esposito takes hold of Castle's other arm, and together we hold him. I readjust my grip, flexing the muscles of my forearm. Now, I'm sure we've got Castle. "Okay. Let's bring him up inch by inch," Esposito says calmly, "Slowly." I nod, and wordlessly we start to pull him up centimeter-by-centimeter, inch-by-inch. My arm and my shoulder are still on fire, but I'm determined not to give up now, and I usually accomplish everything I set out to do. Sweat streaks down the side of my face, and drips from my chin with the exertion of the effort. It seems like the longest minute of my life, but we finally manage to get his torso up and pull him until he's lying facedown on the floor. Quickly, we roll him over, and pull him away from the edge. I'm finally able to take a breath again. I suddenly realize that I haven't been breathing, because I get an overwhelming head rush. Castle is gasping for oxygen too. His chest is heaving up and down in long drawn out rasps. I quickly lean down over him and wrap my arms around him in vice grip, holding him for a long moment. With his eyes still closed, he reaches up to reciprocate. I slowly pull back, and Castle's eyes flicker open for the first time.

"Is it over?" He asks breathlessly.

"It's over," I confirm just as breathlessly. Esposito is forgotten as I sink down, and with my hands on either side of his face, I plant a kiss on Castle's lips without hesitation. Again he reciprocates, and holds me close. As the kiss breaks, my forehead brushes against his and we take a long moment just to breathe. Together we take one breath, and then another. I swallow, finding myself unable to speak. It doesn't matter. No words are necessary as my eyes meet his.

"Thanks for not letting go," Castle is the first to speak after a long moment. "Thanks for holding onto me."

"Always," I breathe back. The word and the implied promise that comes with it, comes so easily for us that I can't help it. After all, I mean it with every fiber of my being. There was no way I was ever going to let him go. Not when it meant that I could lose him forever. And now that I have him? I've decided resolutely that I'm never ever letting go of him again. "Thanks for saving me. Again," I choke out. I take another deep breath, trying to calm the thundering of my own beating heart. It roars like a drum in my ears. I just can't stop the adrenaline that now seems to be coursing through my body. Castle seems to be feeling it too, because he hasn't stopped shaking yet. He nods. Esposito is staring at us and I can't imagine the sort of things that must be running through his mind.

"You guys okay?" he asks finally, after clearing his throat. I can tell that he feels like he's intruding.

"Yeah," I reply, the burning pain in my arm has already been forgotten. "I think Castle's arm is dislocated though."

"I'm all right," Castle grunts, though I can tell he's not quite okay. He still looks like he's in shock. He has a glazed look in his eyes that is hard to miss. I swallow, wondering if I should call some paramedics just in case.

"Hey," I breathe to Esposito, "Can you radio for a bus?"

"No," Castle protests, "Kate, I'm fine. Really. It's not necessary."

"Castle," I sigh. "It's okay if you're not, you know?"

"I'm fine," he smiles goofily. "More than fine, actually." he asserts. "After all, I've finally managed to get you on top of me." I smack him lightly on the chest, just as he bursts out into laughter. I quickly try to climb off of him, but he won't let me. He steals another kiss from me before he is satisfied and ultimately lets me roll off of him.

I carefully help him into a seated position, and he quickly tries to push himself up. I hold him down for a little bit longer. He is seemingly unable to process what has just happened and I'm still waiting for it all to catch up with him.

"Easy," I order him softly, "Take your time, Castle. We're not in a rush."

"I'm good," he chokes out, but he does take an additional minute or two to regain his bearings. "How's that for some excitement?" he asks finally as he makes it to his feet.

"Never do that to me again," I say emphatically, "Ever." He swallows, and I can tell that he's not eager to defy me in any way shape or form. He looks like he's had enough excitement for a lifetime.

"I'll try not to," he chokes out. "Falling to my death was not exactly what I had in mind for this afternoon." Slowly he takes a step and nearly sinks to the ground. Luckily, with my quick reflexes I'm able to catch him and I wrap my good arm around his waist.

"You good?" I check with him, and he nods.

"I'm good," he confirms. Esposito seems to see that Castle might need some help and so he quickly goes to Castle's other side, and carefully, we begin to lead him towards the stairs. We make our way down flight after flight. When we reach the ground there are police officers everywhere. I try not to think about the sort of chaos taking place on the street, but more importantly I don't want to think about the body lying splattered on the concrete. Castle seems to notice a change in my demeanor because he puts himself between me and the body, blocking the horrific view.

"You okay?" He asks, his voice full of concern.

"Yeah," I lie. But I can tell that he already knows what I'm thinking because he carefully leads me away, and has me sit down.

"You know, you've been through a lot today too," he sighs. "You're still not at 100 percent, and I can't imagine I've helped any. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," I say again. "You're okay. That's all that matters." I let out a breath as he wraps his arms around me, and I'm enveloped in his strong, but gentle embrace. He buries his nose in my hair and breathes me in. I close my eyes and I do the same. It's comforting just to hold him, and I realize that I could definitely get used to this. I would easily stay here all day in his arms if I could.

"I meant it, you know?" I say finally as I pull away. "When I said that I loved you…"

"I know," he grins as he looks down at me. "I love you too, Kate." And in this moment, I have no doubt that everything is going to be okay. Because he's okay. Despite the odds, he's still here. And I can't help but feel as if someone was looking out for the both of us.

_**A/N: Love it? Hate it? Hit the review button and let me know!**_


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